Strange Magic
by Gweneth Lee
Summary: All eyes followed the tale of the trio in their fight against Lord Voldemort, but before the rise of the Dark Lord, behind their story, lay many others. For Bill Weasley...everything is about to change.
1. Before

Chapter 1: Before

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It is said that challenges are the core to our ability to grow. If that was true the Katyanna De'Marre McCullough had grown more than some people twice her age, and showed no sign of stopping or even slowing down. By age five her parents had divorced, which would have been hard for anyone growing up. But for young Kat it was doubly difficult. Kat's mother was a witch while her father hadn't a drop of magic in his body. They were still happily married when Kat was born and in fact did not separate until she was three. Kat had spent every spring and summer with her father in York and the fall and winter with her mother in London. Her parents, when she was old enough to start asking questions about why mommy and daddy didn't live together, sat her down and explained everything to her very calmly.

"You see, Kat…sometimes people who fall in love can also fall out of love. And that's what happened with Mommy and I."

"So, Mommy didn't put a spell on you?"

"Not with actual magic, no. Just by being who she was."

"Daddy and I really did love each other, pumpkin. And we're still friends—but we're not married anymore."

At eight years old, Kat was already very perceptive, even solemn at times. "Was it a mistake?"

The two parents had exchanged looks and then smiled a little. No it hadn't been a mistake, but that didn't change the fact that it was over. Kat had begun to understand more and more as she grew up, but though she understood it, she made a silent vow to never let something like that happen to her, when she gave her heart, she would be sure. She wouldn't let it be revoked so easily. She also promised herself that she wouldn't be the sad little girl whose parents separated. It hadn't been easy, but Kat had grown into a confident if headstrong girl. And when she turned 11 she received her admission letter to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Her parents had both been thrilled. Her father took her to London to get her wand and broom while her mother took her the following weekend to purchase her school supplies and robes.

"Message."

The Voice echoed down the dark tunnel to the chamber where a now full-grown Kat was working. She squinted as she looked over her shoulder. The light at the end of the tunnel was so far from her that it looked like no more than a speck from where she stood.

Following her graduation from Hogwarts, Katyanna had gone to work for Gringotts, the wizard Bank as a curse breaker. She loved her job, which took her all over the world. It was dangerous and exciting and challenging every day. In the short years since her graduation she had risen as one of the best curse breakers in England and as such was given several assignments that others would give their right eye for.

"I'll get it in a minute, leave it there." She called back in Russian. Very few of the people she was working with on this assignment spoke English and her Russian had been patchy at best in the beginning, but now, three weeks into the assignment she was speaking fluently enough to get by, even if her accent was still very foreign. There was a grunt and then the scuffing sound of shoes on the rubble covered floor as the man made his way down the corridor.

"I said leave it, I'll get it."

"Urgent. Goblins no like to wait." He called back in broken English, stumbling twice on rubble on his way down the corridor. Kat looked back at the task behind her and grumbled before pulling herself out and moving to meet him half way down the tunnel. She withdrew a couple of coins and handed them to him in exchange for the message before brusquely motioning him out of the corridor. "Not stable. Here, go have vodka."

'Go have vodka' had been one of the first phrases she had learned, mostly out of hearing it so much. People were, it seemed, constantly asking or telling her to have vodka, then another, and another. It became difficult to go out without being pushed into at least three or four drinks, so rather than spend her entire trip drunk off her ass; Kat had engineered a spell to turn the pungent alcohol to mild, lemon flavored water. This both solved her problem and made it worse. Yes, now she could drink almost endlessly the clear liquid that was the lifeblood of this frozen country, but everyone saw it and took that as a challenge. Some wanted to out-drink her, others wanted to see how much it would really take to get her under. Kat had grown so tired of it that she was now spending almost all her time working.

When she had taken this assignment she had expected more, but it was turning out to be very dull, dirty and tedious work. The assignment was to break the curses enfolding a door suspected to lead to Rasputin's library. Rasputin was one of the most famed wizard's of his time, he was the wizard who had protected and served the Romanov dynasty until his death. His death was still a mystery and the potential treasures and secrets that could be hidden in his library were worth the risks Kat was taking. The door itself was barely visible, there were two large boulders blocking it from floor to ceiling of the tiny room. The boulders couldn't be moved by physical means, all of those had been tried, which led Kat to believe that they were tied to a spell holding the door shut.

The messenger took the coins and handed over the sealed message gladly before making his way hastily back down the rubble filled corridor. Once he was gone, Kat broke the seal on the letter and moved into the glow of the lamp until she could see better.

Agent Katyanna De'Marre McCullough,

You are being immediately reassigned to sector 2897 to assist Agent 946. Your port-key is enclosed and will depart at sunrise in two days. Further information will be given to you upon arrival.

Grimknock Liech

Head of Dispatch

Two days the letter said. Kat was so furious she almost dropped the small bent spoon that was meant to be her port-key. She shoved both the spoon and the letter into her pocket and turned back to the door before her. She had slaved over this assignment, breaking curse after curse, through barrier after barrier. There was no way she was going to let someone else come in, do the last bit of work and get the credit for the find she had worked so hard on. Shoving her sleeves up, Kat brandished her wand and walked back to the door.

Meanwhile thousands of miles away, Gringotts agent 946-also known as William Arthur Weasley was crouched before a wall of hieroglyphics with his wand in one hand and an aged scroll in the other. Hieroglyphic runes ought to be a subject all their own, he though to himself not for the first time since starting this assignment. He had thought himself quite well prepared for the mission in Egypt he had been assigned. But now, weeks after working on the same tomb he was beginning to doubt himself slightly and his employers at Gringotts were getting frustrated with his failure to produce treasure in what they deemed was an adequate amount of time.

"Lumos." The tip of his wand glowed as he directed it to the scroll. His wand gave off more light than the meager oil lamps could produce. Squinting, he looked from the hieroglyph on the wall and the one depicted on the scroll.

"Ha! That's it, right here! You see on this rune the—" His words trailed off as he realized everyone else had already left the tomb for lunch. Shrugging off the temporary awkwardness, he set the scroll down and stepped back, muttering under his breath as he worked the weavings of the spell that was keeping them from moving forward in the tomb. If he could just break through that barrier, he was sure they would be able to find the information they needed in the next room to move to the main treasure cache in the center of the tomb.

"Message!"

Bill wiped the sweat from his brow and glared back at the man hobbling toward him, letter in hand.

"I'm in the middle of this, hold it, and I'll read in a minute."

The man stammered that it was important, but the look on Bill's face must have been enough to clue him in to the fact that they were getting close, because the man nodded and backed toward the entrance as quickly as he could without tripping over his own feet. Bill turned back to the curse he was enfolded in and continued carefully working at it. The motions of his wand were so slight that the untrained eye would not have even seen it moving, but every small twitch broke a strand of the intricate spell. It was getting weaker, Bill grinned in satisfaction at the progress that had come from deciphering one small rune. He had to hand it to the ancient Egyptians they were thorough. They didn't want anyone, muggle or otherwise to ever disturb their resting places and they had warded them accordingly.

In Russia, Kat was working around the clock. She hadn't stopped for a single break since receiving the letter that she was being reassigned. When she had first arrived at the site she had been more than doubtful that this place would hold anything of real value, but whether from the rush she was now in, or the adrenaline surging through her veins, she couldn't help but feel sure of what lay behind the myriad of traps and curses around her.

"Just one—more—" Apparently her 'one more' had more of an affect than she had counted on. The two large boulders blocking the door suddenly rolled out of the way, revealing a more intricate door than she had been able to see through the narrow crack. The door that was now fully visible was breathtaking. The wood was dark and aged, but clearly still strong, banded with black iron that swirled in almost runic patterns and was studded with gems. The handle was, in contrast to the blackened iron, pure silver, enchanted by the looks of it, and gleamed brightly despite the dust and age-rust that should have been coating it.

Kat gazed at the door in astonishment, it was beautiful but more than that, it left her with no doubt as to where it led. She looked down at her pocket watch. It was nearly midnight, which meant her time was quickly running out. A fool would have reached right out and grabbed the handle. That fool would also be dead. Kat however, was no fool. She carefully paced before the door for several minutes; examining every inch of it she could from a distance before comparing several runes in her books. The runes told her very little, what was written on the door was either gibberish or a riddle, either way she could make almost none of it out. Kat paused and looked at the multiple colored gems on the door, her eyes widening. Could it really be so simple? Colors…colors then birthstones of the last of the Romanovs. Which would be first, the colored stones or the birthstones? Kat sat for what seemed like a very long time puzzling over it before coming to her decision and standing. There would be no way to tell, there was no secret answer written anywhere. If she guessed correctly, she would have accessed one of the most valuable libraries since Alexandria, Egypt. If she guessed wrong, she would be dead and another would come to take her place. But she would rather die trying than allow fear to keep her from her goal. Reaching out she pulled the first gemstone from its slot and began rotating them.

It was just past nightfall when Bill finally walked out of the tomb. No one worked on the Egyptian tombs at night, as it seemed there were curses that cropped up as the sun set no matter what any of the curse breakers tried to do. So instead of fighting with them and wasting their energy, they worked during the day and left before the moon rose. Desert days were burn-your-skin-off hot, but he nights were what Bill loved. The temperature dropped rapidly at night, leaving a wind across the dunes and cool air across still sun-warmed sand.

Stripping off his shirt, Bill went to the well and drew up some water to wash as best he could before walking toward the camp where his group's tents were gathered. There were anti-muggle charms over the area both around the tomb and around their camp but Bill checked them all before heading toward the others.

Sitting by the fire, stirring dinner in a worn cauldron was the man who had approached Bill earlier that day with a message. As Bill joined them he hastily handed over two separate envelops, which Bill took with thanks back to his own tent along with his supper. Normally he would sit with the other curse-breakers and agents, but tonight he was beyond exhausted. He closed the flap to his tent behind him and kicked off his boots by the door. The tent was, as most wizards' tents were, quite spacious. He had purchased it nearly a year ago, and because of his fervor for missions, it was more his home than just a tent. He dropped his letters in his well-worn chair and changed out of his dirt and sand encrusted clothes and into a pair of loose wrap-like pants before sitting down and eating his supper. The lentil and vegetable concoction was a staple of their meals of late. It was easy to cook and filling as well as nutritious. After finishing it he picked up his letters and broke the seal on the first one, from Gringotts, that inevitably had something to do with his assignment.

Agent William Arthur Weasley,

Your leave has been granted. Your replacement will arrive in two days time.

Grimknock Liech

Head of Dispatch

Bill looked at the note in puzzlement and turned it over, wondering if there was more, or if he had missed some information, but no, that was all there was. Leave? He hadn't requested leave. Setting the puzzling communiqué down he picked up the other letter and opened it. This one was from home, from his family. As he removed the letter, several other papers fell from the envelope; he set those aside and read the first one, an explanatory note from his father.

Dear Son,

I'm sure you've read the news by now, we'll be arriving in Cairo at the weeks end and cant wait to see you, your mother and Ginny especially. Our port should drop us in an alley just off the market near the South entrance—

Bill scanned the rest of the letter quickly and then shook his head in puzzlement before picking up a still-untouched copy of the Daily prophet. After reading the news along with the other letters sent by his family everything started falling in place. His father had won a fortune in Galleon's from the Prophet, and they were coming to visit him in Egypt, but rather than owl him to request the time off, Fred and George had forged the letter themselves. They were lucky they hadn't gotten caught or worse. _He_ was lucky they hadn't gotten caught. But if he was granted leave, who was going to unlock the tomb…? He had been under the impression that his employers, greedy for treasure had been losing their tempers with waiting as it was. Bill rubbed his eyes and shook his head, setting the lot of it aside. It had been a long day and he was tired, this could wait until morning. Perhaps, if he were lucky it would all make sense then. Exhausted and confused, Bill Weasley fell into bed, wand in hand, his blankets cast haphazardly over one leg.

Sleep was nowhere in sight for Katyanna. She was drenched in sweat despite the icy cold wind that was coming at her from the entrance. Kat had two stones in her hands, both garnets, each slightly different. She looked at the two remaining empty slots before her in the door. This was the last move, if she placed them right, the door would open. If she placed them wrong, she'd be dead. She closed her eyes and rolled the gems around in her hands for a moment before reaching out and placing them in the slots. The reaction was instantaneous, a resonating click followed by at least half a dozen more similar sounds and the door slid open from it's nook with a creak. Kat blinked at the now open door and paused to memorize the pattern of the gems before reaching out and pushing the door the rest of the way open. Before her lay a dark, cavern like room. The seal had been strong, and the dusty smell escaped quickly now that it was broken. Testing the entrance for a last line of curses or spells, Kat wedged a large, heavy rock between the door and the frame as a precaution. Too many excited witches and wizards had been trapped in tombs or towers from not following the same, simple precaution.

"Lumos." Once she was sure the door wouldn't close on her, she walked into the room and looked around. The room was large, supported by columns in a circle around the room. It looked as though the room had been hollowed out from the ground itself. The walls were lined with hundreds of books, more books stood in stacks around the columns along with jars filled with scrolls. Between two columns stood a tall, heavy desk, laden down with papers, bottles of ink and other such items. There was a heavy, fur lined cloak thrown over the arm of the chair and judging by the thick dust laying over everything in the room, Kat suspected it must have belonged to Rasputin himself.

Kat spent her remaining time exploring the room and discovered that there was a door on the opposite side of the room, hidden behind a curtain that revealed a long tunnel. If her suspicions were correct, it would lead to the palace. She paused from her exploration long enough to leave the room and fill out a formal report. She ate breakfast and sent the report off, feeling better than she had in days. Once the discovery was made it was assigned and any other curse breaker could be assigned to take her place, but now that the discovery was unlocked, it was hers forever. Or at least, the claim was hers. She was the witch who unlocked Rasputin's library. The response to her discovery came later in the afternoon, while she was exploring the vast library.

As was traditional, she was to be allowed a cut of the treasure from the site. She had already started setting aside her choices from the room. There were several thick books along with scrolls, a small case of potions and a chest. The chest was full of the only real treasure she had chosen, and all of what she chose was based on the research she had done. She chose items such as the amulet given to the youngest Romanov child Alexi to protect him both from falls and from the disease that would kill him. Books that held Rasputin's potions and incantations, and scrolls that held more. She carefully calculated the percentage of what she had chosen in regards to what she had to leave. But even though she was taken less than was her due, she was more than content. The treasures she had chosen may not all glimmer and shine, but they were more valuable she suspected than her goblin employers would realize.

It was nearly time for her port-key to depart, Kat wrapped each of her treasures carefully and placed them in the trunk she had sent for. Once it was all inside, she sealed it both by natural means and with magic and sent it off to be delivered at her home in England. The sky outside was steadily turning from darkness to the pale peach of morning. She checked her pack; her things were all inside, over her shoulder was a long cylindrical parcel that held her tent. After checking the letter once more she put it away keeping her wand in one hand and the port-key in the other. As the dawn's light crept over the horizon she vanished with a loud pop.

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A/N: Greetings all! Chapter two will be up soon and I look forward to hearing your thoughts as our story progresses. And as always, Thank you for reading.

~Gwen


	2. After

Chapter 2: After

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The moment Kat arrived in sector 2897, she discovered it was the farthest possible thing from Russia imaginable. Luckily her port-key had dropped her fairly out of sight between two tall dunes of sand. There was no time for the nausea of the rapid transportation to wear off, or if it did, she didn't notice, as she was overcome by feeling ill from the drastic weather change. It was blindingly hot here, the exact opposite to the crushing cold she had been living in for the last several weeks. Kat shrugged out of her cloak as quickly as she could and shoved her wand into her pocket before ripping off her gloves as well. She sat down and tried to gather herself enough to look around.

Desert surrounded her on all sides. Kat scowled at this turn of events. Would it really have cost the goblins to inform her of where she was heading? She stripped from her winter garb and shoved it into her bag leaving her in a sleeveless shirt and pants; she was at least able to breathe this way. Shouldering her packs once more she began climbing one of the dunes. It wouldn't do her any good to not be able to see where she was. Pyramids dotted the landscape around her.

"You are English Agent, yes?"

Kat turned as an aging Egyptian man approached her leading two camels. She looked him over quickly and nodded. He was a wizard, his wand was strapped to his wrist underneath his long sleeved linen robes and judging by the ease with which he walked along the top of the dune, she wagered that if he had not lived here all his life, then at least he had been here a good while.

"I am. Agent McCullough. And you are?"

"Malik, just Malik. Goblins, very rude can be. They give us no warning at all. Here, you ride camel." He led one of the camels out in front of her.

Unfortunately for Malik, Kat had never been near a camel, much less ridden one. He seemed to understand this well enough and helped her load her bags and then mount up. It was awkward to say the least and left Kat feeling as though she was going to fall off the creature with every footfall.

"How far is the site?" Kat called over her shoulder to Malik. They were still on the high dunes and therefore moving in single file.

"A good many miles away. You get comfortable. Long ride."

Kat had been afraid of that. She tried to re-adjust herself in the odd seat atop the camel and finally managed to sit in a manner slightly more stable. Once they descended from the high dunes, Malik took the lead out across the desert. On their way, she asked him about the assignment and, in his broken English he informed her of the progress they had made on the site.

"I have lived here many years and never have we seen anything like what the curses on the tomb did. One muggle had to have his entire arm amputated. We were not able to stop the curse from spreading otherwise."

"Why has no one been out to this tomb before, if its curses are so active?"

"They were not always so. In fact, until very recently, I did not even know it existed. No one did. It's like it just appeared there one day, very strange."

It was beyond strange in Kat's mind. Pulling her longing away from the icy breezes of Russia and the discovery she had made there she tried to focus her mind to the task awaiting her. Someone put some very powerful enchantments on the tomb, which meant either there was something very bad or very valuable inside that someone wanted kept away from muggles and the wizarding world alike.

It was late afternoon when Kat and Malik arrived at the site. She looked up at the barriers that had been erected to keep muggles away. She suspected that there were also wards against wizards and magical creatures as well due to the sensitivity of the site, but that Malik had lowered those. There were several people, perhaps a half dozen at most wandering about the camp. Some were working, others were pouring over piles of scrolls and old books. Kat scanned the area for the agent in charge, or at least, the agent she was supposed to be replacing. Once inside the camp, Malik instructed the camels down and Kat dismounted on sore legs. Stretching these out, she shouldered her bag and pack and shook hands with Malik.

"Thank you for your assistance. Do you know where I can find Agent 946?"

"Oh yes, you be wanting Bill. He be inside no doubt. Does not know how to quit, that one." Malik shook her hand and motioned toward the tomb before taking the camel's reins and guiding them up and toward a water trough near the well. Kat nodded and turned; making her way toward the tomb to check in with the agent she was to be assisting.

"This is Agent McCullough, I am coming inside." It may have seemed childish or silly, but in Kat's experience it was always a good idea to announce oneself before entering a site, especially an unbroken site. There was no knowing what dangerous spells or curses could be about. She went inside and made her way down the long winding halls and very nearly tripped over the curse-breaker when she came upon him.

He was sitting on the floor against a wall, staring off at the jewel-encrusted door in front of him. Kat pulled herself back to avoid stepping on him. Upon her approach, Bill raised his wand, it's tip brightly lit to see who had come in.

"I told no one to come inside until I'd broken it."

Kat's own wand was clutched in her hand at the ready; she didn't appreciate anyone aiming at her, even if they were on the same side. "Lower your wand, please."

Bill lowered his wand and pointed at the small oil lamp, which promptly lit up the entire area of the tunnel around them as he pulled himself to his feet. Kat nearly dropped her wand. "William Weasley?"

Bill cracked a smile at her surprise. "Usually I'm the one who introduces me, and then you introduce you. Bit unfair this way, you know who I am and I haven't the faintest who you are."

Kat shook herself and extended her free hand. "Of course…. sorry. I'm Agent McCullough. I was sent to assist you."

She took a deep breath, trying to calm the shock from her expression. A part of her was very relieved that he didn't remember her, while another, smaller part was disappointed. Kat pulled the letter she'd received from the goblins from her pocket and held it out to him. Bill reached out and shook her hand, taking the parchment with his other hand. At his touch, at least a dozen memories flew to the surface of Kat's mind before she could stop them.

"_Oy, Bill! Come on, Mate!" A gangly looking youth was pitching bits of snow at the friend in question who was making his way down from the castle._

"_Yeah, I'm comin' Pete!" As he descended the last of the steps one of the balls of snow hit him in the knee and with a wild grin he picked up a bunch and launched it at the youth. Unluckily for the youth, Bill had far better aim, and the snowball hit him square in the cheek._

"_Not fair!" Pete scooped up more snow and the two proceeded to attack each other along the path toward Hogsmead. What neither of the romping two young men realized at the time however is that they had an audience. Kat was neither popular nor unpopular at Hogwarts. She was one of the many who no one quite noticed. She did her work, she did it well and she went about her day. Very few outside her own house knew her for the kind, outgoing and energetic young woman that she was. And this was how she wanted it. She was content with this. Sitting now, as she was, on one of the gabled roofs surrounding the courtyard, she was able to observe everyone on their way out of the school to Hogsmead, but was virtually invisible herself. _

"Well. Pleasure to meet you, Miss McCullough." Bill had an easy smile as he released her hand. He looked her over as subtly as he could. She was certainly not an unattractive woman. Nor was she a raging beauty. She had about her a kind of calm confidence that made her features shine and banished what might have been disguised under the cover of plainness. She was tall for a woman, but the top of her head would reach his chin at best and she had chestnut brown hair and deep caramel colored eyes. Turning to the door across from them, he picked up the lamp and carried it, motioning her along.

"This here is our problem. Wont budge and there's more curses on this thing than moss on the marshes."

Kat dropped her bags and the two of them spent the next several hours going over the curses that had been encountered, what had been done, ideas on how to fix it. Kat liked it this way. Diving into work was a sure way to eliminate the insane amount of awkward that had started to gather around them the instant she recognized him. She counted herself immeasurably blessed that he had not recognized her as well. Bill had been a prefect, then head boy, amazingly smart, and everyone's friend. Kat had been one of the many young women at Hogwarts who had fallen head over heels for him when they were in school. Unlike her fellows however, Kat had chosen to distance herself from him as much as possible. Bill Weasley was a star, every guy wanted to be him, every girl wanted the chance to catch his eye. She wouldn't fall into that net, and she refused to allow a crush on a boy to ruin her plans and goals.

_Professor, I was wondering about a potion—about if one exists…"_

_Professor Snape looked up from his desk to see a young lady of his own house standing before him. She was rather plain, but a very bright girl. Setting down his quill he motioned her to sit. "What sort of potion?"_

_A much younger, much plainer Kat took a seat at a desk across from Snape. He was both potions master and her head of house, if anyone could help her, she was sure it was he. "I know amoratania is the most powerful love potion in the world, but I was wondering if there is an opposite to it?"_

_Snape cocked his head to the side as Kat turned her hands over and over and finally knotted her fingers under the desk. "A potion for hate then?"_

"_N-no. Not hate…just…to make the feeling of love…desire…to make it go away."_

"_Perhaps you ought explain your dilemma, Miss McCullough."_

_Kat took a deep breath before responding. "There's a young man…and he's really quite wonderful…but I—I simply can't afford to be attracted to him. It wouldn't be right. And it's distracting me. I cant think, I keep thinking about him, and when he's near I stare at him and imagine - it's just ridiculous and—and I know it will be better once he settles down with some nice, beautiful witch, I know then the feelings will go away, but I need something __**now**__ that will make it stop so I can get on with my life. I don't want to care about him. I can't."_

_The expression on Professor Snape's face was unreadable and for a long time there was silence, without even the shuffling of other students in the hall. When he finally answered, his voice was low and held a note of finality that made Kat's heart plummet. _

"_There is no potion to help you. There is no charm to make the burden less, no spell to make the feeling go away. And that—is as it should be."_

"_But Professor-"_

"_No. If you feel you must fight your feelings for this young man, then do so. But do not seek an easy answer. Do not seek to cheat. Fight it if you feel that is what you must do, have courage and strength. Use your cunning to shield yourself from hurt, but I warn you—forsaking love…will prove to be your greatest regret."_

Professor Snape had never given her the answers she sought that day. But she had never asked him for them again. There was simply something in his eyes. The look held something darker and deeper than hurt and more powerful than finality. Somehow, at some point, he had survived such pain that he now viewed the world differently than she could have imagined. Professor Snape had always been a mentor, but from that day forward he became something more. He became her most respected ally. Her remaining years at Hogwarts, though he did not provide her with a love-curing elixir, he was always there with challenging tasks to take her mind away from whatever else might have been plaguing her.

"You get settled alright?" Kat started from where she stood in her tent. They had wrapped up shortly after dusk, as Bill explained the night curses were unbreakable. Kat found that unbelievable and challenged him that she would break them before he could break open the door. Now he was standing at the open door of her tent with a bowl of steaming contents in one hand and a canteen in the other.

"Yes, quite well, thank you." She gestured that he could come in if he wished. Bill nodded in answer and came in, looked about and extended the bowl and canteen to her.

"Pumpkin juice is more than a bit hard to come by here, but this pomegranate stuff isn't half bad."

Kat took the canteen and bowl with a smile. "Thank you. Sorry I couldn't join the fire, had to get things set up so I would have a place to sleep."

Bill shrugged, "I don't sit at the fire much myself honestly."

Kat sat down on the edge of her cot with her canteen of juice and the supper that he had brought for her. "Forgive me if I'm pressing, but…you seem to have this more than under control, any idea why they pulled me in?"

Bill helped himself to the low chair that was next to one of the walls and sat down as Kat twisted the top off of the canteen and took a drink. "Apparently my family has fallen into some money and decided to use it to come visit."

Kat looked at him with an arched eyebrow then glanced outside at the wind howling over the dunes. "No offense…but who decides to visit Egypt in the middle of summer?"

Far from being offended, Bill chuckled and held his hands up in surrender like motion. "I don't know—my family apparently."

Snorting, Kat twisted the top back onto the canteen. "So you asked off for leave?"

"No actually—my brothers forged the request in. I had no idea about any of it."

For her part, Kat almost choked on the bite of bean soup she'd taken. "You're kidding!"

Bill shook his head. "Nope. I'm out here, minding my own business, working on this tomb and along comes a notice telling me my leave's been granted."

Kat stared in astonishment for several moments then grinned. "I think I'll have to meet these brother's of yours. They sound brilliant."

"Don't let them hear you say that. It'll go to their heads, and no one will ever hear the end of it."

"I'll bear that in mind." Bear it in mind she would too. She had full intentions of telling those boys how brilliant they were if ever she met them.

"Well-I'll just let you eat your supper then." Bill stood and walked to the door. Kat, who had her mouth full at the time just raised a hand and waved as he wandered out of her tent and off into the falling darkness. She waited a few minutes until she was sure he was gone and then set her bowl down and promptly banged her head into the pole of the tent.

"I've lost my mind—Merlin's knickers, what am I doing?" Kat berated herself for a good few minutes under her breath before splashing some water on her face and taking a deep breath.

"Professional, Kat. Just be professional. Work. It's work, an assignment. It doesn't mean anything. You'll finish and you'll go on to the next one. He's just another curse-breaker, he didn't even remember who you are. He never knew you and you don't really know him so just stop it."

But no matter how many times she repeated her mantra, when she laid down that night, she cried slow silent tears that left her chest feeling hollow and sore. In the morning she washed away all the signs of her weakness and pulled her hair up into a tail at the back of her head so that it would be off her neck. She tucked her wand into her pocket and stepped out of her tent into the early morning light.

"Careful there-"

Kat had stepped out and almost run over someone, but before she could stammer an apology she was struck speechless. She had thought that setting up her tent near the well would be a good idea; it had seemed so at the time. Now she was questioning the wisdom in that as she stood face to face with a very shirtless Bill Weasley. He was dripping wet, from his long red hair to his fingertips and everywhere in between.

"I—Sorry, I think I left my canteen."

She turned abruptly and walked back into her tent with all the haste of someone running from a dragon. Once in the safety of her tent she took a deep shuddering breath and peeked out from a corner of the window flap as Bill made his way to his own tent, a few feet away. She closed the flap and put a hand to her chest. Her girl-hood crush on him had been based on his personality and looks, true. But they were both grown up now, and from the looks of things, Bill had not skimped on the growing up part. He had turned from an attractive youth into a breathtaking man. His muscles were well chiseled from his constant work in the field and his skin was tanned, his muscles rippling under the surface as he walked.

"I should **not** be thinking these things." Kat berated herself, took another several deep breaths and then left the tent, grabbing her canteen as an afterthought that it would look more than a little odd if she turned up without what she abruptly left seeking.

After eating a quick breakfast of what appeared to be an oatmeal-like concoction, Kat headed down to the tomb.

"Trying to get in without me?" Bill had walked up behind her and now walked beside her as they moved down toward the tomb. He was, thankfully, now wearing a shirt.

"I wouldn't dream of it."

The two of them worked all morning on the curses guarding the tomb, breaking here and there to consult the various scrolls of runes and hieroglyphics. All day they worked and Kat finally relaxed enough that the tension around the two of them seemed to fade away to nothing. It was the same the next day and the day after that. Shortly after mid day on the third day they worked together Malik came in to announce the Weasley family's port would be arriving soon and they needed to leave now if Bill had any intention of meeting them.

Bill looked longingly at the door, which they had managed to open slightly. Kat smiled a little from her perch on the floor. "Go on. I promise I wont go inside until you're back."

It had been a long time since Katyanna had seen a grown man pout, but Bill was doing so, and royally at that. She pulled herself up and shoved him toward the door, laughing. "Go on you! Get. They're your family. This tomb is just corpses and trinkets."

Nodding Bill took one last look at the door and then followed Malik out. Not long later they were mounted on a pair of sturdy camels and on their way to the meeting point to collect his family. There really wasn't much work involved in steering a camel, especially when one had the luck of being behind a leader. The camel would just follow the leader, with no need of encouragement or urging on. So as they traveled, Bill sat back, letting his mind roll over recent events along with plans for next moves.

Kat intrigued him. She seemed very familiar, but he couldn't place from where, he strongly suspected they had been near in years at Hogwarts, but he couldn't be sure. There was no way she had been in Gryffindor, as prefect he would have known her. Though she must have been very sneaky indeed to have completely eluded him even when he was head boy. And yet...she knew him, and he couldn't help but think that he knew her as well. There was an intense familiarity in her gaze that was unnerving and exhilarating, but he just couldn't place why.

"Oh William, it's so wonderful to see you!" The plump witch hugged Bill warmly and then pulled back to look at him with a gaze that only a mother could manage: Somewhere between distress and exasperation.

"Honestly though, your hair! It's gotten quite-"

Bill chuckled and kissed his mother on the cheek. "Leave the hair go, mum. I'm not cutting it off."

Arthur came over and clapped his son on the back in a brief hug. The sun was going down by this point and they would not reach the camp until well after dark. "We appreciate you taking the time off work, son."

Arthur couldn't see it, but behind his back, Fred and George grinned and gave each other a high-five in celebration of their triumph.

"It's alright, dad. We've got another curse-breaker along to assist, so she can handle it for a few days."

He managed to say this with a smile that he prayed was as convincing as he tried to make it. He loved his family, and he loved his work, and despite his hesitance, he never would choose work over his family. Still, a part of him wished he could be in the dusty, sand filled tomb with Kat right now, figuring out how to open that door.

Meanwhile back at the tomb Kat had started working on the nightfall curse as soon as Bill had left. It was just silly to leave it up and limit the time they could work on the real situation, and she suspected that was probably not making their employers too happy either. The nights were long, and in her mind there was no acceptable reason to waste that many hours that could be used to get into the tomb.

Darkness fell over the land as Bill and the rest of the Weasley family traveled in a caravan across the desert. They would set up their camp alongside where Bill's site was. It was secluded enough to allow for privacy, and yet near enough to other wizards that they would be able to socialize and share the well which was a true necessity given the locale.

As they passed the barrier he scanned the campfire for Kat, no sign of her there, but her tent was dark. Surely she wouldn't still be near the tomb? They had all warned her very clearly that it wasn't safe. Praying he just missed her or that she had turned in early he helped his family settle into setting up their camp and then crossed over to the site, his eyes scanning everywhere for Kat. No sign of her, he went up to her tent and called, no answer. He couldn't explain why, but he panicked and went inside, looking for her. Her cot was unslept in and the room was clean and empty. Storming out of the tent he went to the fire.

"Where is she?"

The others, who had been elated and talking excitedly amongst themselves until he walked up fell silent and looked at each other.

"Where is who?"

\"Kat! Where is Kat?"

The others looked about the circle and grew curious. "Have not seen her. I did not see her come up from the tomb, perhaps she has retired to her tent-"

"She hasn't-" Without elaborating Bill turned and took off toward the tomb at a sprint. The light from the oil lamp was still glowing at the end of the hall in the tunnel. When they had first arrived, one of their men had gone back in to retrieve a lamp after night had fallen but he had been injured, the curse touched his arm and began killing flesh, muscle, everything it touched. If Kat had been inside, she would be injured at least, if not dying by now.

"KAT!"

Kat was inside the tomb, having broken the curse just before dusk, she was back to working on the door when she heard Bill's voice. He sounded frantic. The horrifying thought that something might have happened to someone on their trip in petrified her so she grabbed her wand and scrambled to her feet, running up the tunnels. "What? What is it?"

They met at the entrance to the tomb, Bill skidded to a stop as he saw her run past the entrance toward him. He stared at her unbelieving for a long moment. "Y-The-"

Kat's eyes were alight. "What? Who is it? Is everyone okay? What happened?"

"Huh, what?"

"You-you ran down here screaming—I thought someone must be hurt-"

"What part of don't stay past dark did you miss, Kat? That curse could have killed you! I thought-"

Realization dawned in Kat's eyes. He had screamed because he thought she hadn't broken the curse, and that she was still inside. Any other woman would have probably swooned at the thought of the man she had once cared fpr racing to her rescue, Kat however knew that Bill's reaction would have been the same if it had been her, or Malik or any one else. It was a part of who he was.

Bill was furious. Not because she was alright, that was good. He never wanted anyone to get hurt, but though they had only recently met, he had formed an attachment to the fiery brunette and the thought of her being injured had stirred something confusing and strong within him.

Kat recovered herself from his biting words and crossed her arms. "Bill, I'm fine. See, I'm here, I'm okay. You can relax. I broke the nightfall curse hours ago. I just didn't want us to be restricted to-"

Bill blinked, looking from her to the entrance and back again. "Just like that? You just broke it? Do you know how long we spent trying to figure out how to break that curse? Days, Kat! And you broke it a few hours ago...like it's nothing."

Kat shook her head and tucked her wand into her pocked before reaching out and grabbing his sleeve to drag him toward the entrance. "It wasn't nothing. But it was something small. You were looking for traditional barrier curses, right?"

"And doorway curses and below surface and-"

"And they were all tied into the same thing. The same, tiny thing. You've seen it all along. Remember that hieroglyph we couldn't decipher yesterday?"

"The wonky one with the-"

"The scarab, Bill. It's a scarab."

"No- the scarab is-"

"There's more than one. That's the trick. It's different. But the difference is so miniscule that you could look right at it a hundred times and not see it."

Bill thought about the tail on the rune he had found the week before Kat arrived and froze. She had walked him all the way into the tomb and down to the doorway where she pointed to a small hieroglyph.

"This is the traditional one. And this-" She picked up a linen wrapped stone hieroglyph that looked like it had been popped right out of the wall. "Is the difference. This is the one holding the curse over the entire tomb. You remove it, and it breaks the circle, meaning we can get in and do what we need to do when we need to do it. You see the markings here, just below-"

She held it up in the light near his face so that he could see as she pointed out the differences in the two glyphs. Bill took it and stared for a long time before looking back at her.

"You're bloody brilliant."

Kat blushed bright red and took the glyphs back, wrapping them carefully before tucking them in to a pouch and picking up her lamp with a smile. "From someone as smart you, that's quite the compliment, so thank you."

The following morning Bill's brother Charlie arrived and Kat was briefly introduced to the full Weasley family, or the direct family at any rate. Anyone at Hogwarts had heard from Charlie and Bill that they had many siblings, but Kat hadn't quite realized how large the family was until she met them. What truly amazed her was how well they all got along with each other. While Bill took his leave to show his family the local sights, Kat waved goodbye to them and went back to work on the tomb.

Days of almost non-stop work later and she had it broken, all but one spell fragment. She grinned in triumph as she walked out of the tomb; she was saving that last bit for Bill. He would break the final curse, and he would get the credit for whatever was found inside. Bill had left to see his family off, after all it would soon be time for most of his siblings to be heading back to Hogwarts, and Charlie was expected back in Romania besides. Kat sat up waiting until Bill returned, around midnight from seeing them off. Everyone else in the camp had long since gone to sleep, while Kat sat beside the fire with a rock to her back as she flicked her wand making shapes out of the dwindling fire and smoke. She smiled as a small owl formed from the smoke and flew up and away from the fire.

"I'm surprised you're up so late—"

Kat pulled herself to her feet with a broad smile and started walking toward the tomb. "I have something to show you."

The two went down to the now very familiar tomb and she took him inside to the center. After studying what was blocking the door for a moment he froze and looked back at her. "You left the last—"

Kat nodded. "Go on, open 'er up and lets see what's inside."

Bill grinned and raised his wand and with a flick of his wrist the last curse broke and the doors slid open to allow them in.

۞


	3. The World Cup

Chapter 3: We Meet Again

It was entirely too warm of an August in Kat's opinion. Then again, most of the uncomfortable warmth was likely being caused by the multitude of people crammed into one area. There had to be thousands in the throng outside the giant stadium that had been built for the Quidditch World Cup. Kat wove through the crowds of elated witches and wizards with as calm an expression as she could manage. It had been weeks since she had been around this many people and she was still adjusting to it. She had come back from Egypt to England, and that alone was enough of a shift to set anyone on their heels. Add to that the fact that her muggle land-lord had chosen to raise her rent significantly due to her frequent "business trips" and even by her standards it had been an exciting few weeks back. Not willing to pay the exorbitant price the muggles were asking, she had politely declined and moved out. Luckily Kat's mum lived in London, with work in Diagon alley and had offered her up a spare room. Kat accepted, but only until she was able to arrange new lodgings for herself, she insisted.

Looking up at the cacophony of red and green battling for attention in the area, she pulled herself back to the here and now, and waved off a vendor attempting to sell huge green top-hats with spinning shamrocks. The World Cup was not somewhere she had expected to be a week ago, it had been a surprise to her, from her mother just days before.

"_Tea's ready, Kat!"_

_Kat's mother's voice shook her out of her reverie. Standing and stretching, Kat realized that it was now past four and that she had been staring out the window at the bustling London traffic for well over two hours. Stiff and still stretching, Kat made her way down the narrow stairs of her mom's townhouse. Her mother was in the living room, pouring tea into two well-worn cups from the teapot that Kat had given her three years past at Christmas. Smiling at the memory, Kat ran a hand through her mussed hair and sat down. _

"_Thanks again for letting me crash here, mum."_

_Laura Mae Lockehaven was a lovely witch of middle-age. Her hair was a rich auburn, revealing where Kat's natural highlights came from , though Kat was as yet spared the silver streaks beginning to show in her Mothers hair. She had also passed on to her daughter a refined nose and full lips. As a child, her features had looked out of place, but as a grown woman, it made Kat look elegant and graceful. Looking at her daughter, it was hard to imagine the lovely woman before her had once been the bouncy , adventurous little mass of brown curls she had coached through potions years ago. _

"_You know you're always welcome, Kit Kat."_

_Kat smiled at the familiar nick-name and picked up her tea, taking a sip as she noted an envelope beneath her saucer. "What's this, mum?"_

_Laura's eyes twinkled and her lips curved up in a mischievous smile as she sipped her tea. "It's for you, darling. Why don't you open it up?"_

_Curious, Kat took another sip of her tea and set the cup down, picking up the envelope. From it she withdrew a letter and...a ticket. Kat studied it for a moment, her eyes going wide. "Mum, this is a ticket to the world cup!"_

"_Oh is it? Fancy that." Winking, her mum took an innocent drink of tea, her eyes sparkling with mirth as Kat flipped open the note._

"_Mistress Lockehaven, _

_ A thousand thanks for your swift attention to the damages to our team's brooms, you are the best of witches. Wish us luck!"_

_ Aidan Lynch_

"_You repaired the Irish National Team's brooms?"_

_Grinning proudly, Laura nodded. "Aye, I did. Finished them just a week before you came home from Egypt. And I thought, who do I know who loves Quidditch? Hmmmm, Kat loves Quidditch!"_

_They both laughed and Kat set the envelope down to hug her mother across the couch. "Thanks mum, you're the best."_

Kat wasn't phased by be threats or worries over security and other such rubbish that had been floating about the papers, she had faced worse in her time as a curse breaker. No, what unnerved her was the crowds. The swarms of people. Her fear turned out to be well justified as she looked over the thousands of attendees and saw a good-humored couple helping a young wizard who had been haphazardly flying too low up from where he had crashed his broom. Making her way back to her site, the narrow strip she had reserved for her tent, Kat marveled that so many thousands of witches and wizards could come together for something as simple as a game, and yet seemed unable to work together on many more important matters. She was nearly to her tent, straddling the two team's lines, when she heard her name being called out. Nonsense, there had to be a good dozen or more other witches here with the same name. Shrugging it off as paranoia, Kat continued toward her tent.

"Kat McCullough, you can't run from me!"

Kat spun around, her eyes scanning the crowd for the face to match the familiar voice. It brought with her the memory of sand and heat and crisp cool well-water...and many even more dangerous thoughts. Still processing the odds, Kat watched as Bill Weasley shrugged and shouldered his way through the crowds of people toward her. His grin was luminous and contagious, infecting Kat as well, who smiled as he came nearer.

"Bill! What a surprise!"

She had scarce gotten the greeting out when he lunged at her, enfolding her in a strong, warm hug as he laughed, picking her up from the ground and spinning her in a circle. Kat's eyes were wide in shock at the unexpected greeting. His arms were tight on her waist in a far too enjoyable way and his hug drew her body flush against his, raising a blush to her cheeks as he set her down. Kat nervously tucked a stray hair behind her ear as Bill gave her back the ability to breathe along with the challenge of trying to banish the memory of the firmness of his body against hers.

"I didn't expect to see you here, how long have you been back?" Bill's eyes were bright with excitement and adrenaline and Kat couldn't help but mile despite her nerves. He was just as handsome as she had remembered. She pushed the tempting thought away. Now was not the time to be mentally salivating over Bill Weasley, no matter how much she wanted to.

"Couple of weeks, I'm staying in London, you?"

"Oh I'm not back yet." He winked mischievously, making Kat laugh.

"Well, Mr. Not Back Yet, would you care to come to my tent for a drink, or would you prefer to stay out here and be trampled?"

"Not too fond of being trampled, drinks it is! Lead the way, Milady."

Kat snorted at his response and turned, leading them through the crowds toward her tent. Surprising her even more, Bill reached out and took her hand. She glanced back at his hand, wrapped securely around hers then looked up at him, their eyes locking.

"Last time I blinked and you were gone, I'll not let you go quite so easily this time."

Kat blushed and turned away, walking between two arguing fans, Bill's hand keeping a tight hold on hers. They reached her tent and she flicked her wand, the flap opening for them to duck in. She was suddenly glad that she had listened to her mother and taken the time to clean her tent before coming. The residual sand and debris were gone and she had replaced the carpet on the floor with a fresh one of deep green that made it seem like grass. The bed visible toward the back was made up with a new mattress and a soft coverlet. In the front there were two over-stuffed chairs, much more comfortable than the narrow folding ones that had occupied her tent previously, on either side of a modest dark-wood table.

Bill followed Kat in and looked around in amusement. "Decide the sand was too much?"

Kat untangled her hand from Bill's and walked to the back of the tent, pulling out two glasses and filling them before handing one to him with a wry smile. "Just needed a change. Sand is fabulous, but carpet is far more comfortable."

Taking the glass, Bill took a drink and helped himself to a chair. "I could argue that, but then, we both remember how _comfortable_ Egypt was."

"Scorpions and all." Kat chuckled and sat down. It puzzled her how easily she could relax around Bill. Puzzled her, and scared her all at once. But avoiding Bill Weasley, as she had since Hogwarts, seemed no longer possible. And Kat found that her conviction to avoid him grew less and less every time they talked. Bill sat up and leaned forward in his chair, looking at Kat with a mock-serious expression.

"So, what brings you to this fine over-crowded, insanely loud, random field in the middle of August, Miss McCullough?"

Kat rolled her eyes at his playing and sat back. "I'm here to see the World Cup, Mr. Weasley, and you?"

Bill fell back into his seat with a gasp. "Of all the imaginable coincidences! I'm here to see the World Cup as well!"

Laughing, Kat kicked at Bill, who deftly caught her leg, his face suddenly serious. He kept his grip on her ankle as he set his cup aside. "You left so suddenly...I thought something was wrong. That I had offended you somehow."

Setting aside her cup, Kat pulled her foot from his grip. "You didn't."

"Then what, Kat? Why leave like that? You were just...gone."

_Three days they categorized the dig. Bill and Kat worked for ridiculous hours, pouring through everything. The vault they had opened was enormous. It was at the end of the third day that Kat decided to leave. They were sitting by the fire, just the two of them as the others had all long since retired to their tents. They had taken out a blanket and laid it on the still-warm sand and sat side by side, talking about their finds._

"_It's amazing...who knows Kat, one more dig, we could find so much. The last scrolls from Alexandria, the histories of the ancient mages, and then when we get tired of the sand we'll go North..."_

"_And promptly freeze to death." Kat laughed, "I just left Russia, Bill. I think I'll enjoy some warm climates before I go back to the ice and snow, thank you very much."_

"_The tropics then, we'll search for pirate treasure-" Bill reached out and put an arm around Kat, drawing her closer to him as he continued on about the adventures they would have. His motion snapped Kat out of her complacency and brought into sharp reality what was happening. This was Bill Weasley. He was her weakness...she couldn't lose focus around him, she wouldn't survive it when he left, what had she been thinking?_

_Kat moved to pull away and jumped as, when she moved, a scorpion crawled onto the corner of the blanket. Her wand was in her hand faster than you could say Olivanders, and she aimed at the tiny threatening creature. _

"_Wingardrium Leviosa!"_

_The little beast rose into the air and Kat deftly flicked her wand, sending it soaring far away from them over the dunes. _

"_Oh come now, he was kind of cute-"_

_Kat turned to glare at him. "Bill Weasley, scorpions are **not** cute."_

Kat let the memory slip away. She had packed her things that night and been gone by sunrise the next day. As she thought on it, she realized what it must have seemed like to him. "I thought it best, William. You had your dig, I'd completed my mission, I left you to it, there was no offense."

Bill studied her intensely, his eyes flickering across her expression. "Forgive me, generally when a man and a woman are fine one minute and the next moment the woman vanishes...it generally translates to mean that the man has done something idiotic to cause it."

Taken aback, Kat shook her head. This couldn't be happening. "No-that is, we're colleagues, Bill. I never meant to hurt you. I didn't realize you'd take my leaving that way, if anything, I thought you'd be relieved."

"Relieved, Kat? Surely you know me better than that."

Kat's heart was racing...he was genuinely hurt. That was never her intention. On the contrary, she didn't think she could be capable of inflicting such a wound upon him. The Bill she knew and remembered was hard as nails and confident enough to take anything in stride, perhaps she didn't know him as well as she had assumed she did. Reaching out, she touched his hand gently. "Bill, I'm sorry. I was stupid...I didn't think. Please believe me, I never meant to hurt you."

Bill turned her hand over, wrapping his around it as he looked over at her. "Kat...No matter what happens, ever. I don't want you to leave. If I'm a dolt...tell me so, but don't leave. Maybe coming to Egypt was never in your plan, but I'd never change it. I'd never change getting to know you."

"Bill..."

"Yes Kat?" Bill had leaned in to her, and his face was only a few inches away from hers now, her breathing had nearly stopped from the static between them.

"...You're being a dolt."

Bill paused and sat back, releasing her hand and laughing. Kat smiled too, and they spent the next couple of hours talking. Bill pulled out a small cube he had taken with his due from the crypt and explained that he thought it might be a puzzle box.

They pulled the chairs together and worked on the puzzle until the first cannon announced that people could begin taking their seats for the game. They looked up, both surprised that time had escaped them so thoroughly. Kat pulled her shoes on and tucked her wand into her sleeve pocket as they made their way for the stadium. Bill paused outside the tunnel Kat had to go through to get to her seat.

"Fraid I'm off this way..."

Kat looked down at her ticket and nodded, frowning. "I'm that way..."

"Maybe after the game you could come by my tent and we can take another look at this box." Bill's eyes shifted from sad and sulking to hopeful at the thought.

Smiling at the prospect and at the offer, Kat nodded, then paused, "No scorpions?"

"Heh, no, no scorpions. Promise. Enjoy the game, Kat, I'll see you after."

"You too, Bill. See you."

Kat turned and began her hike to the stairs with the multitude of other fans. Bill stared after her and almost missed the short fat wizard trying to get his attention. Unlike some, he generally listened to the more interesting vendors and after a few minutes, he was bounding up the steps toward his seat with a grin."

"Miss Kat McCullough?"

Lowering her binoculars, Kat looked down to see a short house elf beside her. "Yes, that's me."

The wee elf was very cute, and clearly excited to be at the event. "My Master is sitting by Mister Bill Weasley and asked me to give this to you."

"Thank you-"

"Simzy, Miss."

"Thank you, Simzy." Kat took the small parcel and looked out over the sea of people as Simzy vanished. She couldn't see Bill at all. She flipped open the parcel and pulled out a strange looking earring.

_Put this in your right ear._

The note was scrawled in Bill's now-familiar handwriting. Following the instruction, she draped the long chain of the earring around her ear, with the glass bead sitting just inside her ear. The glass bead at the other end of the chain was heavier and so kept the earring from falling off.

"Bout time, woman!"

Kat jumped so suddenly that she bumped into the witch beside her, who glared and shook her finger. Kat touched the earring, hearing Bill's voice and laughter echo in her ear.

"Bill?"

"Genius isn't it?! Pick up the 'oculars. I know you have them because I can see you. You're very cute when you blush, by the way."

"Bill!"

"Oculars Kat. Up—more—more—left-too far—now down two rows—there. See me?"

He was waving and looked quite a sight, just a pair of oculars with a mass of red hair and a grin behind them. Laughing, Kat waved, and Bill waved back. "There, now we can watch the game together after all."

The sentiment was touching and Kat smiled but before she could comment, the mascots presented themselves, with Bill's hoot of excitement in her ear, as the match began. The two of them kept up commentary through the whole of the game, and though it was strange and they were on opposite sides of the stadium, Kat had to agree, it really was almost like they were watching the game together.

Hours later, the two sat in Bill's tent, cross legged on the floor, wands in hand as they worked at the puzzle box.

"Have you tried-" Kat's statement was never finished as the tent shook with the boom of a tremor. They looked between each other for a fraction of a second and scrambled to their feet, going to the door. Kat got there first, and was swept away into a crowd of panicked, running people. It carried her feet away from Bill's tent before she managed to weave her way back to him, looking out at the horror of flames and chaos.

"Kat!"

"Bill! Are you alright?"

"Fine, fine I'm fine. My family, my brothers, Ginny, they're here somewhere!" Bill's face was panicked as the flames from already burning tents illuminated them. Kat reached out, clutching Bill's arm tight with one hand, and with the other turned his face toward her.

"Bill, calm down! We'll find them, alright. But if you're panicking, you'll see them everywhere, hear them in every scream. So take a breath and calm your mind so we can save your family."

Bill nodded and obeyed, taking a deep breath as he put his hand over Kat's upon his cheek. "Stay with me."

He laced his fingers with hers, holding his wand in his other hand and started toward his family's camp-site. Though Kat's hand was securely in Bill's there were times in the jostling frenzy of people they were nearly separated again.

"Bill!"

Kat and Bill turned, Fred and George ran toward them, half-hauling Ginny between them. Bill released Kat to run to them, scooping Ginny up into his arms.

"Thank Merlin, you're alright. Where's Ron?"

Fred shook his head. "He was with Hermione and Harry—Dad told-"

"Us to get back to the port key, but they got separated." George finished his twin's sentence without thinking.

Bill nodded and stood-and caught a flying spell aimed past him. It caught his wand hand which started bleeding as he cursed loudly. Kat stepped in front of Bill and Ginny and threw up her wand.

"Protego!"

Two more spells hit the shield she had created before Bill scooped up his wand again and shot a curse at the death eater who had attacked them, blowing him back out of sight. Kat turned to Bill's hand worriedly and aimed her wand, muttering. The wound closed, leaving streams of drying blood as they locked eyes. "Get them out of here, Bill. I'll go find your brother and the others."

"The key-"

"Take it. I'll get them out of here, I swear."

"The Burrow."

"We'll get there, promise. Go."

Bill nodded and pulled her into a hard hug before picking Ginny up and gesturing Fred to lead the way to their port key. Kat turned through the chaos and started looking for the remaining Weasley and his two companions.

A/N: My deepest appologies all. I know it has been a long time, far too long. And for that I am sorry. Here is your long delayed next chapter, with the next one under way and more to come. While I cannot promise weekly chapter posts, I am going to try to get these chapters posted with more swiftness and efficiency. Thank you for reading, please review and tell me what you think, I would love to hear from you!

Love Always,

Gwen


	4. Like Coming Home

**Chapter 4**

A/N: I've been away forever! Though this time it was not entirely my fault. I do appologize for the lengthy absence. I was in a car accident near holiday time and have been recovering, though not using the time to write as much as I probably could have. Still, here's your update with another to follow shortly I hope. Please review, and enjoy!

"Miss McCullough." The voice was deep and familiar. Kat turned and smiled warmly at her former mentor.

"Professor Snape, it's good to see you again." Kat picked up her bag, pulling it over her shoulder and gathered her broom.

"When Dumbledore informed me that you had been called upon, I requested to escort you to the grounds personally."

"Thank you, Professor. When are we expected?" They set out of the Three Broomsticks and down the fairly quiet streets of Hogsmead toward Hogwarts.

"The students will be arriving this evening. There is a meeting this afternoon for the staff, the specialists, such as yourself and the Ministry representatives to go over the plan of events for the tournament. Did Dumbledore inform you of why you were requested?"

"No, Professor." They had reached the grounds and passed through the gate, making their way down one of the lesser used paths rather than the main road toward the school.

"As I understand it there will be a test involving the Black Lake."

"Ah." She nodded, suddenly understanding. "Well then. I suppose that makes sense. Cant imagine the Ministry wanting to send many of their folk down there."

"Indeed not. I have arranged rooms for you just beyond the common room."

Katyanna looked at Snape with a grateful smile. "Thank you, Professor."

"Argentum Micrurus."

"Professor?"

"The password for the common room."

"Being a bit hard on the first years, aren't we?"

"They are first year _Slytherin's_. They will appreciate the challenge of more difficult passwords."

Kat looked out over the bridge, taking in the sight of the lake and the hills around them, the castle in all it's glory. It was still early in the day and the warm afternoon sun bathed the school in its light and warmth. Kat breathed it in like a soothing balm. This school had been her hearth and home for years and it was here that she had learned and trained and grown. Home...Hogwarts was home. And it was only now, standing outside looking over it for the first time in years, that she truly realized how much she had missed it.

"It has been a long time..."

"Indeed. Come, Miss McCullough. I'll show you where your chamber is before the meeting."

Kat nodded, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye with her sleeve as they passed into the main courtyard and through the tall doors into the castle proper. The halls seemed hollow without the familiar ring of students clamoring to classes. Instead it had the eerie echoes of teacher's foot falls as they went about the business of preparing for the impending arrival of students.

Snape led Kat through the halls to the stairs and down, and down, and down. The Slytherin Common room, though few knew it, was in fact in the Dungeons. The temperature cooled with each flight they descended until at last they reached the sub-level of the castle. The walls had been whitewashed and stood pale against the golden flicker of torches that lined the walls. Kat paused and pulled out her wand with a mischievous smile.

"Adurus Verdure." The flames of the torches flickered a moment and then blossomed brighter, the flames no longer orange but green. Green fire dancing from the line of torches toward the Slytherin Common room. Snape raised an eyebrow at the change and looked back at her.

"The students will love it." Kat said with satisfaction.

Snape suppressed a smile of his own and nodded, turning back down the hall. He hardly needed to lead Kat through the maze of corridors to the common room. Just around the corner from the portrait to the common room was a door which Snape opened for Kat before holding out a slender silver key on a black cord.

"I'll let you get settled. The meeting begins at three o'clock in the Great Hall."

Kat nodded and stepped past him inside. As Snape turned to go, he paused and looked back at his former pupil. "And Katyanna...I am proud of you. You are a credit to the House of Slytherin."

"Thank you, Professor Snape."

"You know where my office is. It is always open to you."

Snape bowed to Kat and disappeared down the hall, which now glowed faintly with green mixed in the shadows. Kat stood for several minutes in the doorway of her chambers before going in. Her room was large, the size of the prefects room at least and had a small sitting room as entrance with the bedroom to the side, both on the outer sides of the castle, with several tall windows that looked into the lake. Because of the windows, the room was bathed in a faint mossy glow as sunlight danced on the water above. There was a fireplace between two windows in the sitting room, unlit at present, but it sprang to light with a flick of her wand. Silver and green lanterns and sconces accented the walls, ready to be lit when the light-filled lake no longer lit the room.

Hanging her robe and broom on the waiting rack opposite the door, she explored the spacious room. She had a small bathroom so she wouldn't have to share with the students in the common room, or travel half the castle for a bath. The sitting room had a desk and book case, which it looked like Professor Snape had equipped as it had a variety of books on potion studies, modern charm weaving, and a new edition of "Linguistics of Magical Species."

Her bedroom was moderately sized, with a soft black coverlet on the bed, a side table and a dresser and chest for her belongings. She set her bag down and sat on the side of the bed, looking out the window into the depths of the lake. A blur sped past the window and she smiled. Some were terrified of the black lake and the creatures that lived within it. Not that they weren't dangerous, they were. Very. But if treated properly, they were also very fascinating, as any Slytherin would tell you after living in such proximity to the lake proper.

Kat was sitting outside on the bank of the black lake with a huddle of students around her. The semester had begun and the school was abuzz with excitement over the tournament to come. The Goblet of Fire was standing at ready and soon it would be time to find out the Champions of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. The Beauxbatons and Durmstrang schools had arrived not too long past and with all the excitement, it was surprising the teachers were able to keep their student's focus at all.

Fortunately, it wasn't as bad as it could be and after much pleading, Kat had been convinced by the students to help tutor part time when not needed for Tournament business. And so now she sat, in the late afternoon sun by the lake, helping a huddle of Slytherin's and Hufflepuffs with their charms homework.

"Keep it steady there Finley, good. Now raise your wand a smidge. See the difference that makes-"

"Mistress McCullough?"

"Yes?" Kat turned, and was greeted by a tall young man with the familiar features of a Weasley and a mass of unruly red hair that had been pulled back into a messy knot at the back of his neck...some of which presently looked singed and was accented by a thin trail of smoke.

"Charlie! What on earth? Are you—steaming?" She recognized Bill's younger brother from the summer, during which Bill's family had come to Egypt to visit on Galleons won from the Daily Prophet.

"Yeah, about that. I know you're busy an' all but, if you could spare a bit, the boys and I could use an extra wand with a rather toasty situation, if you get my meaning."

Kat's eyes widened and she glanced at the students around her who were watching with curious eyes. "Right then. You lot keep working like I showed you and get yourselves back to the Great Hall on time. I'll not be responsible for anyone breaking curfew."

She stood, gathering up her bag and jogging to keep up with Charlie's fast-paced long gait. He waited until they were well out of sight and sound of the students and were in fact, well into the forbidden forest before explaining.

"Right, so the girls have all been just as well as can be expected considering the trip we brought 'em on. The problem we have now is the eggs. We had to take them out to fit 'em with the riddle you got last week and they're furious. Lashing and banging about, the Short Snout put Davies in hospital wing and the Horn Tail is trying to break full out of her holdings. We had to pull up the cages they were acting so wild. I tried to tell Crouch this could happen but he'd hear nothing of it."

"So what do we do?"

"Well we have to try to calm 'em down enough that we can get the eggs back into their nests. That's the only thing that'll keep them from going completely mental. They need those eggs back. Now."

"Right. Brilliant. Okay." Kat paused, before them on the path was Professor Dumbledore, deep in conversation, it seemed with Mr. Crouch.

"Ah, Young Weasley. Good. And you've brought Miss McCullough, excellent. Your team has the eggs now. With a fourth to spare, if the Horn-tail does, as you expect, become too excitable to be used in the tournament."

"I think it's safe to say she's out, Headmaster. Went round the bend when we took her egg. It'll be months before she's calmed down. I wouldn't want anyone untrained around her, much less trying to fight with her, Sir."

"Very good then, Mr. Weasley. Lets leave them to it then, shall we Barty? I think I smell pie, and I do so love pie."

As Crouch and Dumbledore headed back toward the castle, Charlie and Kat made their way into the depths of the forest to the clearing where the dragons were being held. They were a sight to be hold. Even with the dozens of retainers trying to keep them from lashing about, they still managed to make their entire cages shift. Kat watched wide eyed as the dragons fought against their bonds. Charlie led Kat around the outskirts of the clearing to a bush with one retainer holding four satchels.

"The eggs?"

"Yessir. They haven't seen 'em yet. Douglas said to keep 'em outta sight."

"Good lad. Kat McCullough this is Chaz, he's an apprentice. Chaz this is Miss McCullough. She's agreed to help us out a tad since Davies isn't back up on his feet yet." Charlie let the two of them shake hands before taking the satchels and passing two of them to Kat. 

"Right, you go left to the Short-Snout and the Welsh, and I'll take the other two."

"Plan?"

"The others will hold and throw a sleeping spell simultaneously from their wands. Which should have enough kick to put her down for about five minutes. You'll get in, place the egg in the next and get out."

"That's it?"

"Er...don't die. I really don't want to have to explain to Bill that I let you die over an egg...that would be awful."

Kat shook her head, "What does Bill have to do with-"

"He's real fond of you, and besides-" There was an outburst followed by the sound of creaking metal and both of them looked up.

"Charlie, later. Dragons, priority."

Kat nodded and the two of them crouched, wands in hand, satchels over shoulders and snuck into the clearing to face their dragons.

Hours later, a very tired, very sore Kat sat down in her room. She knew she should bathe. She was still covered in mess and soot and ash from crawling through the Dragon's cages to deliver the eggs, but the soft chair was just so damned comfortable that she was finding it exceedingly difficult to bear up the energy to pry herself out of it.

"Come in."

Kat was sitting comfortably in the window side chair of her chambers reviewing a language lexicon when a knock sounded on her door. Rising, she draped the book over the arm of the chair, wondering who would be visiting at such a late hour. She smiled brightly as Charlie Weasley walked in, shaking his head.

"Don't see how you don't get lost down here. I got turned about twice and then Snape had to show me how to get here." He shuddered faintly, as though that had been an experience all in itself.

More amused than she ought have been, Kat hid her smile and shrugged, "Must have something to do with having a common room down here for years."

"And a charming Head of House too. Still gives me the chills, Snape does."

"I am glad to know my skills have not been dulled by the years, Mr. Weasley."

Charlie jumped at the sound of Snape's voice behind him. Snape, for his part looked unabashedly amused at having caught him off guard as he withdrew a vial from his robes. "Professor Dumbledore asks to see you in his office when you have completed your business here, Miss McCullough."

"Of course, thank you Professor." Kat was grinning now. She couldn't help it, Charlie had paled at least two shades down from being startled and the look on his face had been hilarious. Snape gave her a curt nod and vanished from the doorway with a flutter of his robes.

Charlie turned on Kat with a stammer. "It's like he just _knows_! Even after graduating! How do you slytherin's stand it?!"

Laughing, Kat slipped into her shoes and gathered her cloak from by the fire, patting Charlie's shoulder encouragingly, "He's not all bad. And yes, he _does_ know."

"Bloody creepy, that is. Here, let me." He reached out and helped pull the robe over her shoulders, straightening the hood, which had inverted itself.

Kat smiled her thanks, checking that her wand was still in her pocket where it should be and turned back to him. There was a faint air of awkwardness now, as he had gone through so much to try to find her, and now she was being called to see Dumbledore. Charlie shuffled a foot, unsure of what he ought do, and Kat gestured toward the door.

"Come on, you can walk with me back up to the main levels. At least that way Snape wont accuse you of snooping around the common room. He's quite protective."

"Yeah, sure. Great." Smiling with relief, he pushed open the door and let it slide shut behind them.

There was a click of the lock once it did and Kat led the way down the green flame lit corridor toward the upper levels of Hogwarts Castle. They paused briefly as one of the prefects made their way past on their round and then made their way up the stairs.

"So, what was it you needed to see me for, Charlie?"

Kat was walking in front of him, but there was enough room that he walked at an angle to her, "Well, actually I was coming to say goodbye."

She paused a step and turned back to him with a twinge of sadness in her eye, "Oh? I'm sorry to hear that..."

"Really? I mean—its just for—the Dragons you know...now their task is done and all-"

Kat nodded. "Yes, I suppose it would make sense that you would be needed with them."

Truth be told, she had grown quite fond of Charlie Weasley in his time. She couldn't help but notice that the Weasleys as a whole had started growing on her. They were relaxed and friendly and open to everyone they knew it seemed. And in the last few weeks she and Charlie had spent many an hour of their mutual time-off chatting and walking through the grounds of Hogwarts Castle.

"Yeah—well, see...I was thinking, if you like I could say hello to the family for you when I go."

Katyanna's eyes lit up. It was a very sweet gesture, touching really and she paused at the top of the stairs and turned on him, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Charlie Weasley, you are positively wonderful. I would love that. When do you have to go?"

"T-Tomorrow afternoon-" He was stuttering, his cheeks as red as his fiery hair from where she had kissed him. She kissed him on the cheek, effortlessly, innocently. It was a motion much like Ginny would make, but it warmed him like a dram of fire-whiskey and he shook himself, considering that if Bill had seen, he probably would have knocked him out cold, older brother or not.

Katyanna, oblivious to the affect she had impressed upon him, grinned and nodded. "I'll have letters ready for you at breakfast."

She paused, they stood now at the foot of a large, ugly looking stone gargoyle. It looked down at them fiercely, guarding the entrance to the Headmaster's tower. Kat glanced back at Charlie who gave her a nervous smile and waved, backing away a few steps. "See you in the morning then."

"G'night, Charlie." As he made his way off, she turned to the gargoyle and looked up at it calmly and spoke the password loud enough for the beast to hear it, but soft enough that lurking students would not be able to discern it.

"Toffee Eclair." Obediently the statue shifted and allowed her passage up to the tower.

She knocked on the door at the top of the stairs and it opened smoothly to the warmth of Dumbledore's office. Once inside, she noted that she was not the only guest of the Headmaster that night. The Headmaster, as well as Professor Snape and Barty Crouch from the ministry were in the office, standing near a crackling fireplace.

"Ah, Miss McCullough, do come in." Dumbledore smiled at her, that mischievous twinkle that he had in his eye telling her all she needed to know about the conversation to come.

"Good Evening, Headmaster, Professor, Minister." She gave them a polite bow and closed the door behind her.

Dumbledore gestured toward a bowl of licorice snaps, which she declined with a smile and a wave of her hand before he launched into the subject at hand. "I presume you know why you are here? And by here of course, I mean back at Hogwarts School during this particular year."

She glanced at Snape who gave her a nod, before she spoke. "Professor Snape has given me some information, though the Ministry proper was not fully forthcoming on the exact task. I expect it has a great deal to do with the first assignment I was sent on, to procure the riddle-eggs."

The elderly man chuckled and nodded. "No, I am sure they would not have been. Well, yes, in a way it is. When we asked you here, it was to serve as a diplomat to the Merfolk of the Black Lake and, you were quite successful in obtaining their aid for the first task. However the Ministry has expressed some concerns regarding the...safety of our students during the second task."

By the fire, Barty Crouch huffed, but whatever he might have said in protest, was silenced by a stern look from Snape. Still smiling good naturedly, Dumbledore continued.

"As I was saying. We are in need of a diplomat with significant lingual ability in Mermish, which Professor Snape claims you are exceptionally well suited to."

"I am fluent, Headmaster. Though I would not say exceptional."

Dumbledore made a face twisted with amusement, the opposite of that upon Crouch's face. "Be that as it may, are you open to the task?"

Katyanna nodded, "Yes, Headmaster."

"Splendid! Professor Snape will aid you in preparations...after the Holiday I think, Severus. Wouldn't want her to freeze to death."

"Indeed not, Headmaster."

Severus swept away from the fireplace and toward the door, gesturing Katyanna with him, in an effort to escape the growing consternation of the ministry's representative. Barty Crouch looked almost as though he were about to explode as he walked with clipped steps to Dumbledore's desk. "One witch. Is hardly what the ministry had in mind, when requesting safety precautions, Albus."

"Katyanna McCullough is a skilled curse-breaker with a great deal of experience in dangerous situations. And I have heard her mermish myself, it is flawless. You could not have a better guard for the students, Barty. Licorice?"

Kat caught that snippet just as the door was closing and was smiling as Snape led the way down the stairs and back into the Hall. "You will need to start physical preparations immediately."

"I assumed as much. What time should I be in your office?"

"As Professor Dumbledore has given until the Holiday, I would think you will have until after the Yule ball before you need to worry about the more strenuous preparations."

She blinked, receiving an arched eyebrow from Snape. Shaking her head, she explained as they walked down the familiar stairs toward the lower levels. "I had forgotten about the Yule Ball. I didn't think I would be here still for it."

"Then I suggest you acquire the necessary accoutrements for it. You will be expected to attend."

He said this in a manner that suggested he meant something more along the lines of: _If I have to go to the children's dance, so do you. _Kat nodded and made a note to go to Diagon alley at her next opportunity. He paused outside her chamber with a slightly chagrined look. "Incidentally I myself must leave the grounds on business briefly before the holiday."

Reading the look in his eye and the words he did not speak, she bowed her head as she pulled out her key to open the door. "If there is something I can do for you, Professor, you need only say."

"I would be particularly grateful if you could manage my classes whilst I am away."

She paused, looking at him in surprise. "How long?"

"Two days at most. I will leave you a lesson plan of course."

"It would be my pleasure, Professor." He nodded curtly and left her to smile to herself as she closed the door and took off her robe. It had been an evening full of information and changes, and yet rather than feeling weighted down, she felt light, airy almost. Certainly the penny would drop soon and the weight of it all would hit her. But between now and then, she had letters to write, and that thought alone made her smile again.


End file.
